
Now THIS is what a train station concourse should look like! What a glorious space. (30th Street Train Station)
Exploring Philadelphia on foot.
I arrived in Philadelphia by train from New York City, and was delighted by the marvellous vaulting space of 30th Street Train Station. The station was restored and renovated in a $75 million project completed in 1991. From the 90-foot ceilings to the marble columns to the gold leaf gilding, it looks fantastic. A great introduction to the city. I was in Philadelphia in late May for a conference, but managed to get in two walks — one on the way to a supermarket which revealed unexpected (to me) back streets that reminded me of English villages, and the other around the Old City area with its historical sites commemorating the push for independence from England.
The supermarket in question was the Whole Foods store on South Street, and my hotel was near City Hall, so I walked along South 12th Street. Although I was heading out for food supplies, I had my camera with me (of course!), and was soon snapping away at the lovely old tree-lined side streets.
City Hall is definitely worth a look! “At 548 ft (167 m), including the statue of city founder William Penn atop it, it was the tallest habitable building in the world from 1894 to 1908 … it was built between 1871 and 1901 at a cost of $24 million.” (source)
One morning, when the conference sessions were not relevant to my work, I took the train to 2nd Street station and followed a self-guided walking tour of old buildings and monuments.
Along the way I passed a lovely little park …
… more quaint side streets …
… Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers of the United States) …

Benjamin Franklin bust
… and things cluttering up the sidewalk …
… and then I stopped for coffee and a muffin. I forget the name of the coffee shop, but I loved the interior lights!
Then it was on to Elfreth’s Alley. “Named for blacksmith and property-owner Jeremiah Elfreth, Elfreth’s Alley was home to the 18th century artisans and trades-people who were the backbone of colonial Philadelphia. … While a modern city has sprung up around it, the Alley preserves three centuries of evolution through its old-fashioned flower boxes, shutters, Flemish bond brickwork and other architectural details.” (source)
If you have enjoyed these walks in Philadelphia, check out Jo’s Monday Walk to see where other bloggers have been walking.
Whenever I hear the name it reminds me of the Springfield song- one of my favourites of his. Such a stately looking city! I enjoyed my back street wander with you, Kaz. Your eyes alight on pretty much the same things that ensnare mine. 🙂 Such pretty lights in that cafe, too!
Many thanks for the link and for joining me. I love your walks logo at the bottom there. 🙂 Your page looks good. Mine is in need of some serious revision (when I get round to it)
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Thank you so much, Jo! And that same song was in my head as I wandered around. 🙂 Re the logo, I made an effort to sort out my categories and created a number of logos; I thought it might generate some additional views. The photo in the walks logo is one I took on a walking holiday in Sicily.
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It works well. I need a kick up the bum 🙂
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And a lot of time — that’s the hardest thing to get, I find. 😦
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Next time I am in NY I am taking a side trip to Philly!
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Definitely worth it! Lots to see, and I barely scratched the surface.
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Great pictures from philadelphia my favorits 2, 19, 28.
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Thank you Robert! I’m glad you liked them and have favourites.
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I really enjoy wandering around a city with you Kaz, as Jo says, your eyes alight on the things that interest me too. Reminds me a little of Boston. And I’d quite like that red chair.
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Thanks Jude. 🙂 I wanted to go to Boston on this trip, but simply ran out of days! And I photo’d that red chair wondering if I could claim it was a bench. 😉
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Haha… not sure you can claim it as a bench, but I like it anyway 🙂
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I was i New Your in the beginning of October, and also in Pennsylvania. But not in Pholadelphia. It seems like a nice place 🙂
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The parts I saw were nice, but I only saw a fraction of the city.
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Hi! Dropping by from Monday Walks. I loved walking around Philadelphia too. We spent 4 days there and we didn’t see enough!
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I can believe it! There’s a lot to see. Thanks for the visit. 🙂
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I tried to leave a comment on your Laura Secord post, but I’m not sure it worked.
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